Author's note: Before we kick off this new chapter, I have to warn you that from now on, this story will be rated M. You all knew this was bound to happen sooner or later if I wanted to make this a TRUE harem story. If sexual content and slavery themes disturb you, you better stop reading this right now. If not, I wish you a fun time reading this.
Lord Shen wasn't exactly known for his kind soul. After all, he founded an army and created a weapon that he used to kill hundreds if not millions of innocent animals. He caused the death of his parents (though not on purpose) and didn't feel any remorse about it. He did not hesitate to kill and destroy just to get what he wanted. All the opposite of what Kung Fu stood for.
... So, saying that Master Viper felt shocked when, upon arriving at Shen's new palace in gongmen City, he did not torture or even kill her, but simply asked her to rest on a comfortable pillow would be an understanding. Of course, she felt glad to be able to relax on the kind of material only nobles and royalty could afford for decoration, especially after getting into a tiring fight and tiring journey... but something wasn't right. She was Shen's enemy; why would he take care of her like this?
After resting for around twenty minutes (thought Viper couldn't be sure), the throne room's doors opened and in walked two lady swans dressed in fancy blue and red robes. The caretakers Shen said he would send. As soon as their eyes landed on her, the two avians gasped at seeing "such beauty being ruined like this" as they pulled it in. Before the snake woman could say anything, the two ladies rushed at her side and got to work.
Viper reluctantly obeyed their command to stay still on her pillow while they brushed away the dirt from her scales - it took quite a while since she has been a bit low on hygiene lately. What? When you train to protect your home from a crazy peacock and his army, taking a bath is the last of your worries.
"There, your scales are all clean now!" the red-robed swan cheerfully announced after cleaning Viper's scales of every last bit of dirt. "Time for the polishing!"
The avians took out more instruments out of their beauty box to start polishing Viper's scales. The process' feeling was... alien to the snake woman. Sure, she was very careful about her appearance and always made sure to clean herself and apply makeup after her missions. However, she never went as far as polishing her scales or trying to look like a... beautiful woman. At least, not on a daily basis. Shifu did teach her that a master's appearance was not that important. Except during important events of course. But these did not happen often.
By the time these two avians were done, Viper's apple green scales and white underbelly shone under the reflection of the room's torches. One could mistake her for a princess of noble origins with such beauty reptiles could in general not showcase. Of all her journeys across China, Viper never heard about a royal or noble family of crocodiles, snakes, or even chameleons. She couldn't help but feel an inch of pride in being the first reptilian lady to get the royal treatment.
"Time for the final part," the ladies happily announced and got Viper to lay her back on her pillow. It felt better than laying on a wooden planch. The swans then took two different kits out of their box: a makeup one, and a painting one.
"What are you gonna do with this?"
"Taking care of your makeup, of course. Your current one isn't half-bad, but if you are going to dance for the Emperor, you need to be at your best!"
"And what is the paint for?"
"I will draw some exotic symbols on your belly," the lady taking the painting kit answered. "Snakes like you cannot wear robes or other fancy clothing for it would prevent you from slithering around. I'm sure having good paintings on your body will totally compensate for it."
She was right. Viper felt fascinated about robes and fashion in general since a very young age - just like every girl like her. However, just like the lady swan said, wearing any form of clothing on her long body would prevent her from slithering, in other words, moving around. That is why the snakes of her kind usually stuck to wearing makeup and lily pads on their head. The only change in appearance Viper got from childhood to her teenage years are the tattoos all over her back.
As the first lady swan started applying a new coat of lipstick on Viper's lips, the other one plunged a paintbrush into a bowl of black liquid and got to work on Viper's belly. The snake tensed her stomach muscles a bit in reaction as she felt the cold paint being rubbed against her scales. She attempted a few times to lift her head up and see what they were painting on her tummy, but they always pulled her head back down with ease, claiming that "it was a surprise".
"Is it done soon?" Viper asked as the first lady swan treated her eyelashes.
"Be patient, Miss. It takes a lot of work and time for a lady to look at her best. And you need to look at your best if you are to dance for the Emperor," the second lady swan said with a hint of excitement in her voice, as if she'd give anything to be at Viper's place.
Oh, she'd trade places with her anytime...
Before long, the ladies' work came to an end and they instructed Viper to remain still while her makeup and belly painting dried. That didn't prevent her from finally lifting her head up and looking at what had been painted on her tummy. To her surprise, the black paint formed pretty exotic-looking Chinese poetry on her long midsection. It looked as if the characters were telling a story clouded in mystery... and it somehow made it look even more elegant.
"How do you find it?"
Viper turned her body one side and another to see her paintings under every angle. She looked at the lady swans with a smile. "I like it! It looks very pretty!"
Before the two avians could express their gratitude to the snake, the throne room's door slammed open and a familiar canine stepped inside. "Alright, ladies, time to get out!" Wolf Boss announced. "The Emperor is coming to be entertained."
In a split-second, the fun Viper got from having a little beauty session faded away. She remembered that she wasn't in this palace as a guest or royalty... but as a prisoner to Lord Shen for his little enjoyment. The snake now almost felt bad for being well-presentable like this. The two swans quickly packed their things up and mumbled "Good luck" to Viper before heading for the exit, Wolf Boss closing the door behind them.
Soon, they opened once again, this time revealing the white peacock who brought Viper to this place. His red eyes scanned her body to see her new looks and his black beak twisted into a satisfied smirk. "Yes, yes. You look more fit for an Emperor's dancer now." He approached her, his metal talons clicking on the marble floor, and ran his wing on her belly paintings. "So... elegant and refined."
The feeling of Shen's feathers running on her belly scales caused Viper to shutter and push her body away from him. Far from looking annoyed, this seemed to amuse the avian even more. "So what are you gonna do with me now?"
"The question would rather be: what you're gonna do for ME, young snake." Shen walked away from his elegant prisoner and went to sit down on the giant metal chair that served as his throne, laying back and giving a calm look to the snake. "As I said before your little beauty session, you are gonna dance to entertain me."
Viper rose an eyebrow. "And how am I supposed to do that? I don't know if you know about my village's culture, but the only dance that is taught there is ribbon dancing. And I can't do that without a ribbon."
The peacock started chuckling, and this chuckle soon turned into a full-out laughter. What? Did Viper told a joke without realizing it?" "Awww, Kung Fu warriors," he said after he finished laughing. "You all make the mistake of underestimating me. This is the reason why you failed to stop me from conquering China." He narrowed his eyes. "I studied about every village of this country's culture. And I know that snakes like you are known for their talents in ribbon dancing."
The peacock then snapped his feathers and soon after, the door of the throne room opened again. Wolf Boss walked in, carrying some sort of long black box in his paws. He walked up to Viper, a grin on his face as he held the box in front of her.
"What's in this?"
Wolf Boss answered her question by opening the box... and Viper gasped. A long ruby-red ribbon crafted in the silkiest tissue she ever saw and decorated with golden painting looking even more elegant than the ones on the snake's belly. It looked a thousand times prettier than the simple pink ribbon Viper used back in her childhood years to make her father smile. The snake's turquoise eyes widened and stared at the beautiful dancing instrument in awe.
Shen must have noticed it since he decided to speak: "Pretty, isn't it? Before parting from Gongmen to go capture you, I asked my personal cloth crafter to prepare a ribbon specially for the first dancer of my harem. It is decorated to perfection and made to fit exactly with your dancing style."
Viper picked the item with the tip of her tail and looked at it from under every angle. She felt a jolt of joy running through her long, slender body. This ribbon was the most beautiful she ever saw! This almost made her want to thank Shen for giving it to her. Almost.
"Feel like testing it right now?" Shen asked. "I hope you are, because it is time for you to dance and entertain your Emperor."
The joy left Viper's soul and she turned to glare at the peacock. Dancing for the being who destroyed Gongmen, tens of villages, killed hundreds of animals across China, and even took the life of her close friend? Yeah, she'd rather go on a date with Monkey in a dirty restaurant, spending the whole night listening to his terrible jokes.
However, as much as she wanted to spit in Shen's face and refuse to dance for his entertainment... an idea started forming in her mind that made her think otherwise. Right now, there was no way she could possibly kill him, let alone injure him. She could try to attack him and hope to land a deadly blow, but she already saw how he could stand on his own in a fight. And besides, he already knew everything about her fighting style, so there was no way she could take him down before his hundreds of soldiers in the palace would rush in to neutralize her.
The best option for her right now... She gulped just at the thought. All the snake could do was to play his game. Shen did not restrain her up and seemed to want to keep her around his throne room for his personal pleasure. If she submitted to his will for now and filled her role as the Emperor's entertainer... maybe he would eventually get to trust her enough to let his guard down. At this moment, she could take him down, make him pay for his crimes, and give China a chance for freedom.
Yes, it would be long and hard... but Viper could not think of a better plan. She would do it! For her friends, her family, for Po... for everyone!
Taking a deep breath, the snake closed her eyes and focused. She did not stand in the middle of Gongmen Palace's throne room. No... she stood in the Valley of Peace, during the Summer Festival. On the stage where she performed her traditional dance to celebrate the arrival of summer. The villagers and her friends watched her with smiles on their faces. She started moving her body at a slow pace - since no music played, she followed the rhythm of her heart and soul.
Soon, the non-existing music kicked up the pace and so did Viper, her body undulating more with her turquoise eyes closed. When no doubt remained in her mind, she opened them and started swishing the ruby ribbon around. The dancing item followed the gesture of her own slender body, looking more like an extension of it rather than a mere dancing tool.
Shen's red eyes widened a little, just like his smile. The snake he captured from a far away village and brought back to his palace went from a vengeful Kung Fu warrior to a graceful ribbon dancer. Her long, slender body moved in such a fluid way... The peacock's insides turned on fire. The show got even more enjoyable when Viper gave a little rest to the ribbon and started moving her body in gestures that could be compared to that of a belly dancer's.
As Viper held her body upward and rolled it around in an elegant fashion, she opened one eye to give a look to the peacock she entertained, wondering if he enjoyed it. The bird's black beak still formed a grin of enjoyment... and, upon looking lower, Viper saw a bridge behind his now visible white pants. She couldn't prevent herself from showing a disgusted wince at this sight before carrying on with her dance. She finished it by tossing her ribbon in the air with a swirl and slithering to the other side so that it landed around her body and she gave a wink.
Exactly the same way she finished her dance for Shifu and Oogway when she came to the Jade Palace for the first time as a dancer prior to join the Five.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Viper looked as Shen gave soft claps with his wings - just like vilains do to mock their enemies. "Bravo, bravo. A great display of ribbon dancing indeed, my dear snake. It was enjoyable to watch."
"Yeah, enough to give you a boner," Viper thought with sarcasm and disgust.
The peacock turned his eyes toward the room's balcony to see the sunset left its place to nighttime while he prepared his new dancer to entertain him. Remembering that his schedule for tomorrow included an encounter with the chiefs of Gongmen City's defense, he decided it would be better to go to bed right now. He stood up from his throne chair and gestured for Viper to follow him.
"It is late. Let's go to bed."
Giving her ribbon back to Wolf Boss, Viper slithered on the talons of her new - though temporary - master. He pushed open the doors to his bedroom and invited his little snake to get in first which she did... and gasped. She shouldn't have expected anything less from the bedroom belonging to the most important title holder in China. At least five times the size of the bedroom she had back at the Jade Palace with a double king-sized bed accompanied by soft-looking pillows and sheets looking silkier than her new ribbon. A big wooden wardrobe stood at the far end of the room right next to a large desk with scrolls and writing tools. A small couch laid before a fireplace currently off and a glass door on the far right of the room led to a balcony overlooking the city down below.
"Get on the bed," Shen instructed Viper. Just at this moment, the snake realized something.
"Wait, you want me to sleep in this bed? With you?!"
Shen chuckled a bit. "Of course, young snake. You didn't think I would let you sleep by yourself in my palace on your first night so that you can plan your escape?" He then pulled something out of the sleeve of his robe. Oh no. Not that freaking leash again! "Forget this; you're gonna sleep with me."
As Viper widened her eyes in horror, the white peacock picked her up in his wings and pulled her down on his large bed. Then, he locked the leash around her neck area once again before doing the same with the other end of the bed pose. Upon noticing her position, Viper realized her captor made an actually smart move. The way she found herself shackled to the bottom part of the bed did not allow her to get anywhere near the top where Shen would sleep, thus ensuring she would not be able to harm him during his sleep.
Shen walked over to his wardrobe and started removing his white robes. This action shocked the snake as she never have found herself alone in a bedroom with a naked man - well, except if you count other snakes who never wear any clothes. Her mother always told her to not let any man violate her body for a woman's body is sacred. He wouldn't do that to her, right?
"Oh my! Don't do this! You're in the presence of a lady!" Viper exclaimed with looking away from the peacock.
Shen turned to look at her over his naked shoulder. "You're not a lady here. You're my prisoner." He returned to what he did, putting on a new pair of white robes before walking over to the bed, pulling the covers up, and slipping into their comfort. He gave a look to the serpent woman at the bottom of his bed and grinned. "You should try to get as much rest as you can. Because I have a lot of work planned for you tomorrow."
Viper sighed. Of course, she should have known that he wouldn't just let her relax in his palace between every dance she would have to perform to entertain him. She was one of his enemies after all. Tomorrow would probably be the first day on a long and hard path for her. She coiled up on the bed, finding with joy that the sheet felt comfortable a lot, and closed her eyes as she drifted to sleep.
"I will have to endure this monster's tyranny for a while... but one day, I will make him pay for his crimes..."
Author's note: Not much action happened in this chapter, I will give you that. It mainly served to introduce Viper's new role into Shen's harem. I hope to post a new chapter during the weekend though it is most unlikely. As always, constructive reviews are welcome, stay stunned for the next chapter, and may the gods watch over you all.
